Whitney Jerome

"Let’s have a moment of silence for our comrades in the Friend Zone.”

I am a serial friend zoner; at least that’s what my friends say. I meet a guy, think he’s great, and do something über friendly like give him a high-five or call him “kiddo.”  I don’t see anything wrong with high-fiving people and I’m fairly certain I’ve called everyone in my life “kiddo” at one point, sorry about that mom. I suppose I’m not a fan of my identifier because I’m not quite certain I know what the Friend Zone is or if it really exists. I set out to understand the Friend Zone and talked to men and women, alike. Here’s what they had to say:

“The Friend Zone is like being in the Night’s Watch [Game of Thrones reference for 10 points]. You think you’re a badass because you’re going to a specific place only to realize you’re stuck in hell.”  – Male

“To care for someone without romantic feelings.” – Female

“The Friend Zone is when you want to move forward in a relationship with someone, but they don’t want to, yet they still want you in their life. You can intentionally put someone in the Friend Zone or you can do it subconsciously. I’ve definitely been in the Friend Zone and I’ve put people in it, as well” – Male

“No romantic and no sexual relationship.” – Female

“Where a lot of people don’t think they’re going, but where they end up. Everyone’s had a run with the Friend Zone.” – Male

“Where dreams go to die.” - Female

Let’s pop the Bucknell Bubble and take a look at what’s going on in other news.

Palestinian Buses in Israel. While this has been in the news for a while, the buzz has picked up again, as one of the buses was recently set on fire. If you need a refresher, earlier on this month, the Israeli government started operating a Palestinian-only bus service to transport workers to and from the West Bank into Israel.  Why is this so controversial? Um, it’s only a civil rights/segregation issue between the two nation-states with one of the oldest conflicts in the contemporary Middle East. Check out what the Guardian has to say about it, here.

It’s that time of year, the one you’ve been hearing all about since orientation. You may not be sure what to expect – when we were in your shoes, we didn’t either. In the hope that you’ll have a House Party experience that totally rocks your world, our senior staff writers would like to share some thoughts and tips with all of our lovely freshmen readers.

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

First things first: pace yourself. We’ve all heard the adage: it’s a marathon, not a sprint – it couldn’t be more true. Making a conscious effort to pace yourself will make your weekend all the more enjoyable. Yes, taking shots before your 8 a.m. on Friday might sound awesome now, but you’ll probably regret it. It is a long weekend of festivities. If you want to get the most out of your first HPW, you need to slow it down, drink a lot of water, and eat as much as possible throughout the days. Speaking of food, make sure you capitalize on all the free food offered to you throughout the weekend. Usually, the deans and various professors hand out hot dogs and hamburgers from a food cart, which is pretty entertaining. Not all professors are pro-HPW… in fact, many of them are very against it, so try not to talk about it or blatantly blow off class this week in honor of the weekend’s activities. Most of them don’t care, and if your professor happens to notice that you’re drunk in class, bad things will happen. Be subtle.

Go Outside Your Comfort Zone

What a whirlwind year 2012 was!!  Full of ups and downs and all sorts of surprises, last year certainly kept us on our toes! Here’s an awesome video recap, if you’re already feeling nostalgic: 2012 Recap. There were binders full of women, the last Twinkie was manufactured, President Obama was re-elected, Gabby Douglass became a household name, and the entire world was introduced to Clint Eastwood’s infatuation with empty chairs. Last year also saw the end of Michael Phelps’ pro career; the death of Whitney Houston, the devastation caused by Super storm Sandy, and too many lives lost due to shooting sprees. While we could never forget what 2012 encompassed, it’s time to look forward to what 2013 will bring. Trends come and go, that’s why they’re trends; so with that being said it’s time to say au revoir to some that have overstayed their welcome and time to make room for some fresh, new, exciting ones. Here’s to sticking it to the Mayans and making it to a New Year!